I use MSDOS (or XP Pro compatability box or whatever) as a significant
part of my PC activities. There are numerous things ssthaty can be
done faster and/or better on the command line than in Windows proper
and mixing and matching as trequired is the norm. As will be the case
for various other dinosaurs here :-).

My DOS has suddenly decided to prevent access to a number of previous
capabilities and to return an "access denied" message instead.

Hi Russell:
Diagnostics over email could be difficult, but anyway...here is my 2cents.
I have computing background, and had similar awhile back, I don't recall what the fix was (may not be the same anyway).
However, I'm sure you would have tried a complete restart of the computer.
Sometimes to start troubleshooting, try something known and simple like;

Try this: DOS box: type> ipconfig then enter (you should get IP, of ones own machine)
then, type> ping [ip of own machine..see below] then enter.

Response received should be like shown below where xxx are numbers for your network.

First check that you can still see the file or program in your file manager if the actual file or program is not showing or is showing as hidden, somehow the hidden and system flags could have been activated (how to puzzle people, go to a command line and type attrib +S +h *.* the PC will never boot again. Magic!).

Check if your PC has suddenly changed it's network name, that is press WIN_BUTTON + PAUSE/BREAK if the computer name hasn't changed then select one recalcitrant file, right click select properties, then select the security tab, from here click on ADVANCED.
From the PERMISSIONS tab select CHANGE PERMISSIONS, click on your user name and ensure the 'inherit permissions etc' is ticked, click on the ADD button make sure your user name has appeared and the OK out of the dialogue boxes. This can be performed per file or per directory or drive if needs be.

Then check to make sure no nasty virii have infiltrated your system. Delete any restore points you might have as many nasties hide here as they are often immune to AV software in this special system folder.

Thanks for the advice.
Alas, I've tried all that already :-( - but learned a few more thnigs
alongh the way.
And Windows_key-PauseBreak was new to me - I've always done it the
hard way. Useful, thanks.

Isaac -

Yes, I'm using CMD.EXE.
Interestingly, I just tried commamd .com (a long ago old friend) as as
you say, it used to have SOME functionality in XP, and now it opens a
WIndow / DOS box but does utterly nothing except allow you you close
it by mouse click.

Restore points - Comodo has allegedly been making these on and off of
late BUT on looking I have but 2 and only a few days old.
I do save full registry dumps occasionally and if needs must will try
reverting to an earlier one.

> First check that you can still see the file or program in your file manager
> if the actual file or program is not showing or is showing as hidden,
> somehow the hidden and system flags could have been activated (how to
> puzzle people, go to a command line and type attrib +S +h *.* the PC will
> never boot again. Magic!).
>
> Check if your PC has suddenly changed it's network name, that is press
> WIN_BUTTON + PAUSE/BREAK if the computer name hasn't changed then select
> one recalcitrant file, right click select properties, then select the
> security tab, from here click on ADVANCED.
>
> From the PERMISSIONS tab select CHANGE PERMISSIONS, click on your user name
> and ensure the 'inherit permissions etc' is ticked, click on the ADD button
> make sure your user name has appeared and the OK out of the dialogue boxes.
> This can be performed per file or per directory or drive if needs be.
>
> Then check to make sure no nasty virii have infiltrated your system. Delete
> any restore points you might have as many nasties hide here as they are
> often immune to AV software in this special system folder.
>
> Colin
> --
> cdb, .....colinKILLspam.....btech-online.co.uk on 28/05/2012
>
> Web presence: http://www.btech-online.co.uk
>
> Hosted by: http://www.justhost.com.au
>
>
> This email is to be considered private if addressed to a named individual
> or Personnel Department, and public if addressed to a blog, forum or news
> article.
>
>
>
>

A few days ago I downloaded DxO Optics Pro version 7.x software (free upgrade)
This purports to be 64 bit and ll neweer and gancier and shining.
I had my doubts about Pentium D and 64 bit but decided that DxO are
real enough that the software would tell me if it did not like the
CPU. This may have been an unwise decision :-).

The software SEEMS to run well with nor problems.
Casting a wide net, does this sound to anyone as a possible reason for
the system to have changed into a mode where it does not like eg 16
bit apps - which I think older DOS commands etc are or were.

OK

COPY
MOVE
DIR

Access is denied:

xxxxx.jpg

grep - Borland version from long ago

IPCONFIG
QBASIC
SR.EXE :-) - long time since last use
XXCOPY :-(

Irfanviews_plugins ..... .EXE
IView427_setup.exe

Random selection of *.exe from \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32

>From c:\WINDOWS
notepad.exe
regedit.exe

BUT most of the above can be run via START_key \ RUN \ command_name
ie it's the DOS box level access that is barre

Start > Run >Command. Dir works, entering "Edit" brought up MS-DOS
editor, and was able to open text (log) file from there. But "Ipconfig"
works And this is XP PRO SP3, Dual core 3.0g Pentium D 930 Presler,
which is 32 bit, not 64 bit!

Same comment for CMD, except a different editor, but looks the same.

And note ifconfig is a Linux equivalent of ipconfig. I get them mixed up
too.

> Colin
>
> Thanks for the advice.
> Alas, I've tried all that already :-( - but learned a few more thnigs
> alongh the way.
> And Windows_key-PauseBreak was new to me - I've always done it the
> hard way. Useful, thanks.
>
> Isaac -
>
> Yes, I'm using CMD.EXE.
> Interestingly, I just tried commamd .com (a long ago old friend) as as
> you say, it used to have SOME functionality in XP, and now it opens a
> WIndow / DOS box but does utterly nothing except allow you you close
> it by mouse click.
>
> Restore points - Comodo has allegedly been making these on and off of
> late BUT on looking I have but 2 and only a few days old.
> I do save full registry dumps occasionally and if needs must will try
> reverting to an earlier one.
>
>
> Russell
>
>
> I'll ask another question in another email.
>
>
> Russell.
>
>
>
> On 28 May 2012 21:27, cdb<EraseMEcolinspam_OUTTakeThisOuTbtech-online.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> First check that you can still see the file or program in your file manager
>> if the actual file or program is not showing or is showing as hidden,
>> somehow the hidden and system flags could have been activated (how to
>> puzzle people, go to a command line and type attrib +S +h *.* the PC will
>> never boot again. Magic!).
>>
>> Check if your PC has suddenly changed it's network name, that is press
>> WIN_BUTTON + PAUSE/BREAK if the computer name hasn't changed then select
>> one recalcitrant file, right click select properties, then select the
>> security tab, from here click on ADVANCED.
>>
>> ï¿½From the PERMISSIONS tab select CHANGE PERMISSIONS, click on your user name
>> and ensure the 'inherit permissions etc' is ticked, click on the ADD button
>> make sure your user name has appeared and the OK out of the dialogue boxes.
>> This can be performed per file or per directory or drive if needs be.
>>
>> Then check to make sure no nasty virii have infiltrated your system. Delete
>> any restore points you might have as many nasties hide here as they are
>> often immune to AV software in this special system folder.
>>
>> Colin
>> --
>> cdb, colinspam_OUTbtech-online.co.uk on 28/05/2012
>>
>> Web presence: http://www.btech-online.co.uk
>>
>> Hosted by: ï¿½http://www.justhost.com.au
>>
>>
>> This email is to be considered private if addressed to a named ï¿½individual
>> or Personnel Department, and public if addressed to a blog, ï¿½forum or news
>> article.
>>
>>
>>
>>

OK!
Running again.
Rolled back to prior to DxO Optics install.
May not be what caused the problem.
TBD at some future date.

Tried command.com again.
At first black screen of DOS with no text
After perhaps 20+ seconds of playing Comodo Firewall announced a
trapped call and allowing that gave DOs functionality.
A few calls that had not worked in CMD before workd here - but CMD is
also working now so I don't know if it would have helped me at all.
Onwards. ....
Hopefully

> Yes, I'm using CMD.EXE.
> Interestingly, I just tried commamd .com (a long ago old friend) as as
> you say, it used to have SOME functionality in XP, and now it opens a
> WIndow / DOS box but does utterly nothing except allow you you close
> it by mouse click.

Interesting. I think that behavior is due to that PATH setting, which may be influenced by how you fire up command.com. I opened up a dos box with a menu shortcut "%SystemRoot%\system32\cmd.exe". PATH was a very long string which includes all the extra paths I had set in the setting dialog. Then, from the dos box, I issued command.com, and the PATH variable was truncated to a shorter version.

> OK!
> Running again.
> Rolled back to prior to DxO Optics install.
> May not be what caused the problem.
> TBD at some future date.
>
> Tried command.com again.
> At first black screen of DOS with no text
> After perhaps 20+ seconds of playing Comodo Firewall announced a
> trapped call and allowing that gave DOs functionality.
> A few calls that had not worked in CMD before workd here - but CMD is
> also working now so I don't know if it would have helped me at all.
> Onwards. ....
> Hopefully

Glad you're running again.

FWIW, forget command.com. There's a reason why the "standard" shell on
WinXP is cmd.exe. Unless you /really/ know what you're doing (and why),
don't use command.com and just use cmd.exe. (Which is probably what
you've been doing all along... :)
I'm running lots of strange programs, and spend a lot of time in various
shells, but I have never found a need to run command.com on the Win2k
family.